Principles and Procedures
A. Principles
The Network exists to further and support good and empowering practice which is open about its aims and underlying principles. It seeks to assure those looking for a practitioner, that Network practitioners can provide and sustain a suitable environment for the work offered and are able to communicate clearly their particular form of work to each other and to the public.
The Network seeks to develop a culture of openness, mutuality, support and challenge within and between its member groups.
Member groups are committed to fostering evaluation and accountability through an ongoing process of self and peer assessment.
Each group takes responsibility for resolving problems which may emerge in the practice of its members, including issues raised by clients. It accepts that its membership of the Network stands or falls by how it carries out this responsibility and is, therefore, prepared to have its process examined, supported and challenged by other groups, and to do the same in return.
The Network specifically favours diversity and ecological complexity and has no commitment to any particular model of therapy, therapy training, or therapeutic relationship.
B. Organisation
The Network is a system of linked groups which accept the responsibility of standing by each other's process of self-monitoring and issue resolution, offering support and challenge as appropriate. Links apply equally in both directions.
Membership of the Network is only as a group. A group will ordinarily comprise between five and ten practitioners who are prepared to know and stand by each other's work. In principle, groups are open to practitioners who are, in whole or in part, counsellors, psychotherapists, educators, complementary health, or any other allied practitioner.
A group becomes a Full Member Group when it provides and publishes:--
an identifying name for the group, names of its members and a contact address.
a copy of the group's code of practice/code of ethics or equivalent.
names of two other groups willing to form links with the group.
information about its history and its members work.
A link may be withdrawn by either party, at which point a period of conditional membership, of up to 6 months, will obtain for each group until another link is formed. Similarly, if a group's membership falls below five they will have conditional membership, of up to 6 months, until it restores its numbers. In either case, the situation should be made known to the Network.
All full member groups have equal status within the Network.
To ensure the integrity of the Network, no three groups may link in a closed triangle
In the event of conflict between a practitioner and a client, the practitioner's group will facilitate the situation using a conflict resolution model. When necessary, it can draw on its linked groups and, ultimately, on the resources of the Network, to ensure that all parties feel the issue has been properly dealt with.
The life of the Network will arise from the actions and interactions undertaken freely by its members. The Network as a whole has no power to constrain its member groups to any course of action, or to prevent them from any course of action. No group or individual has the right to speak on behalf of the Network. Decisions will be made by pluralistic consensus, defined as an ongoing process which considers all options available, listens to all views, and is one which supports a variety of outcomes being pursued simultaneously. This approach implies an emphasis on issue identification, discussion and ‘sense of the meeting’ rather than on adversarial proposals and counter-proposals. Unresolved issues will be held open for further discussion and all decisions will remain open to subsequent modification.
Action will only be taken on the Network's behalf after agreement is reached at a National Gathering and the circulation of any proposed action throughout the Network.
C. Administration
The Network's business will normally take place at National Gatherings, at least one of which must take place annually.
Attendance at National Gatherings shall be open to anyone who is part of a member group, a potential member group or an individual seeking to participate.
With the agreement of a National Gathering, individuals or groups will, from time to time, take responsibility for one or more of the following functions:
to provide and maintain a public contact address for the Network.
to maintain and make available to the Network lists of member groups, of the individuals belonging to those groups and of the links between groups, of potential member groups, and of individual practitioners intending to participate.
to hold and circulate to other groups each member group's code of practice.
to produce and publish a “Network Communication” bulletin.
to provide liaison which enables the resources of the Network available to groups who require them.
to arrange Gatherings or other meetings of the Network
to draw any issues or problems to the attention of the Network as a whole.
to act as Regional Contact Persons.
to liaise with, or otherwise relate to, other professional or relevant bodies.
These Principles and Procedures replace the IPN Interim Constitution and reflect the evolving nature of the Network and its process